Fluorography is the system of symbolic communication through flowers and their arrangements. Communicating meaning through flowers is as old as the Bible. Shakespeare has Ophelia catalogue flowers and their symbolic meaning in her mad speech in Hamlet. In Constantinople, they were obsessed with tulips. The Red Rose has come to symbolize Christ for several reasons: 1) its color represents the blood shed 2) thorns represent the crown of thorns and 3) the five petals represent the five wounds he received during the crucifixion.
But the heyday of fluorography had to be the Victorian period with all its restrictive social rules of decorum. A well-arranged nosegay from a secret admirer could be worn in public signaling a secret message to a lover.
In his book Floral Emblems (1825) Henry Phillips writes that floral messages make perfect sense as our oldest forms of written expression were pictorial (hieroglyphs). In his introduction he lists animal symbols such as lions and strength, snakes eating their tails and eternity, the bee and industry, and so on. He does this to justify any naysayers who may dismiss the idea of floral communication. It’s a fascinating book. (Click HERE to read Floral Emblems.)
What does all this have to do with a 2013 home invasion horror movie? I’m glad you asked.
In The Purge, we see a supposedly Utopian society that has finally figured out a way to maintain prosperity…and that’s by allowing one night a year for everyone to purge their frustrations by committing any crime with impunity. This ritual of violence has supposedly led to an almost nonexistent crime rate and less than 1% unemployment. Interesting concept, but I’m not here to debate the interesting premise because frankly, this film fails on many levels. Where it doesn’t fail is in using flowers as symbols!
In The Purge, we see a supposedly Utopian society that has finally figured out a way to maintain prosperity…and that’s by allowing one night a year for everyone to purge their frustrations by committing any crime with impunity. This ritual of violence has supposedly led to an almost nonexistent crime rate and less than 1% unemployment. Interesting concept, but I’m not here to debate the interesting premise because frankly, this film fails on many levels. Where it doesn’t fail is in using flowers as symbols!
In The Purge, we see the Blue Baptisia used as the symbol of support of the ritual of the purge. For those who are not participating in the actual crimes, they can show their support by displaying these blue flowers prominently outside their homes. The idea being that if a home has flowers outside, it should be exempt from violence. This calls to mind the putting of blood over the door during Passover in The Bible. It’s a gesture with meaning. And in the film you see them everywhere, usually coupled with the American flag. But I asked myself, “Why this flower?” and here’s what I think.
Let’s start with the color Blue. It has religious meaning. It is associated with the Virgin Mary in much of religious iconography. It is linked to nature as it is the color of both sea and sky. This could signify depth and stability. It is linked psychologically with slowing the metabolism and producing a calming effect. In Western culture it is associated with masculinity…boys blue/girls pink, right? It is also the most popular color among corporate America. Americans have patriotic associations with the color blue as it is part of their flag as well as associations of strength…Superman’s outfit is mostly blue. So for a movie that wants a symbol to represent support, they nailed the right color. But why a flower?
In regions where the Blue Baptisias are cultivated, there are problems with parasitic weevils entering the seed pods and destroying the viable number of seeds. This fits perfectly in with the theme of this movie. The purge is an attempt to rid this society of its social parasites that threaten the homes (pods) of its more affluent, and thus worthy, citizens, the citizens that produce something. The Baptisia is also a plant with deep roots that can survive very long stretches of drought. Again, this is perfect as the citizens of this society must survive from purge to purge before they are allowed to purge their emotions and violent tendencies.
And lastly, the name Baptisia comes from the Greek Bapto meaning “to immerse” (think of the word baptism). Think of the immersion of violence this society has adopted as a means of prosperity. It’s a crazy concept, but consider that recently the Governor of the state of Georgia passed House Bill 60 into law (“The Safe Carry Protection Act” otherwise known as the “Guns Everywhere” bill). I have no crystal ball and am not politically savvy enough to fully understand what may or may not happen due to this law, but it seems to me that Georgia (my home state) is either trying to take us back to the Wild West or straight into the future society of The Purge!
According to www.yourdictionary.com/flower, the color blue in flowers symbolizes peace, serenity, openness, calming of worries and anxieties.
Symbolism of Flower Colors
Symbolism of Flower Types
Symbolism of Flower Colors
- Red rose - love, beauty, perfection
- Pink rose - admiration, grace, elegance, joyfulness
- Yellow rose - warm feelings, happiness, friendship
- White rose - purity, innocence, new beginnings, remembrance
- Orange rose - desire, enthusiasm, passion, excitement
- Lavender rose - enchantment, love at first sight
- Red flowers - energy, desire, strength, beauty, courage, and love
- Pink flowers - happiness, grace, youth, joy, and innocence
- Purple flowers - royalty, ceremony, dignity, success, pride, and admiration
- Yellow flowers - joy, lightheartedness, friendship, new beginning, and happiness
- Blue flowers - peace, serenity, openness, and can calm worries and anxiety
- White flowers - innocence, humility, reverence, simple beauty, modesty, and elegance
- Orange flowers - enthusiasm, energy, warmth, confidence, satisfaction, and a passion for life
- Green flowers - health, youth, good fortune, resilience, optimism, and renewal
- Lavender flowers - grace, refinement, feminine beauty, and elegance
Symbolism of Flower Types
- Acacia: platonic love, chaste love, hidden love
- Absinthe-Woodworm: separation, a tormented love
- Agapanthis: immortality
- Alstroemeria: fortune, prosperity, wealth, devotion
- Amaryllis: pride, pastoral poetry, drama
- Apple blossom: concord, better things to come, temptation
- Aster: unpredictability, love, content, dainty
- Baby's breath: a pure heart, festive, happy
- Bamboo: strength, loyalty
- Begonia: deep thoughts
- Bell of Ireland: good luck
- Bluebell: delicate, humility, constancy
- Cactus-Saguaro Blossom: bravery, endurance
- Caladium leaves: delight, great joy
- Camellia: good luck for a man, excellence, gracious
- Carnation: a woman's love, pure love, fascination
- Columbine: foolish, folly
- Crocus: cheerful, foresight, happy
- Cyclamen: resignation, farewell
- Daffodil: unrequited love, chivalry
- Dahlia: good taste, pomp
- Daisy: love that is loyal, purity, innocence, keeping a secret
- Delphinium: courage, bold, presumption
- Fern: fascination, magic, shelter, confident, sincerity
- Fir: time, evaluation
- Flax: symbol of domesticity
- Forget me not: remembering forever, faithful, true love, good memories
- Frangipani: protection, shelter
- Freesia: spirited, trust
- Gardenia: joy, a secret love
- Geranium: folly, stupid, comfort
- Gloxinia: love at first sight
- Heather: solitude, admiration
- Holly: happiness in domestic situations, foresight, defense, strength
- Honeysuckle: sweetness, happy
- Hyacinth: sports, games, rashness
- Hydrangea: understanding, vanity, heartlessness, coldness
- Iris: affection, warmth, faith, wisdom, inspiration
- Jasmine: elegance, cheery, grace, amiable, friendly
- Jonquil: desire
- Larkspur: open heart, fickle, infidelity, beautiful spirit
- Lily-Calla: majestic, regal, royal
- Lily-Day: the Chinese emblem for Mother
- Lily-Eucharist: maiden charms
- Lily of the Valley: tears of the Virgin Mary, humble, beauty, sweetness, returning to happiness
- Lily-White: virginity, purity, majesty
- Lotus: mystery, truth
- Magnolia: splendid beauty, dignity, nobility
- Maidenhair: discretion
- Marigold: grief, jealousy, cruelty
- Marjoram: consolation, comfort
- Mimosa: sensitivity
- Mistletoe: affection, love, kiss me, sacred plant in India
- Moss: the love of a mother, charity
- Myrtle: Hebrew emblem of marriage, joy, love
- Narcissus: self, formality, egotistic
- Oleander: grace, beauty
- Palm Leaves: success, triumph, victory
- Peony: happy marriage, happy life, healing
- Petunia: anger, resentful
- Pine: pity, hope
- Primrose: young love, not being able to live without someone
- Rose-Leaf: hope
- Pink Rose: perfect happiness
- Red Rose: love
- Tea Rose: always remembering
- Thornless Rose: love at first sight
- White Rose: purity, innocence
- Yellow Rose: jealousy
- Rosebud: youth, beauty, innocent love
- Spider: elopement
- Stephanotis: happy marriage, good luck, wanting to travel
- Stock: affection, promptness
- Sunflower: sunshine, pride, devotion
- Tulip: symbolizes the perfect lover
- Violet: modest, faithful
- Wisteria: steadfast, youth, poetry
- Zinnia: remembrance
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